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A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders
90's hip hop at it's finest with A Tribe Called Quest's third album. A jazzy start to the track Steve Biko, which flows into a track with a catchy beat and some New York themed rapping. If you're into random stories performed in a rap then this is the album. 8 Million Stories all begins with going to get a milkshake, soon he's talking about slapping his bitch and going to see the Knicks. The little mix in the background as well as the beat serve the rapping well and make for a good jam. They're not really flashy but they get it done with their lyrics and steady percussion and beats to make memorable tracks. Electric Relaxation first sounds like a pager is going off, but soon settles into a sexy jazz hip hop song. It's the perfect song to put cologne on to because it makes you feel like a thug whose ready for some pimping. They have that friendly rap feel, so I enjoyed listening to this.

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Phish - Hoist
Phish headline festivals for reason. They jam so hard and know how to make exciting music. The bass that starts off Down with Disease is amazing. Then the guitar just makes a splash. We just took peanut butter and added jelly to make an awesome combination. Trey Anastasio's voice sounds great. Without out a doubt it's my favorite song because it sounds kind of poppy. The stop, stop, stop backup voice is great and then there's a pause, which sets up the perfect follow through of more guitar and rhythm. Mini guitar solos make this song very fun. The transition to "If I Could could not be any better. The song is super calm and has that floating on water feel. Lifeboy is a touching song by Phish. It gets the job done as one of those songs you sway your lighter back and forth to, A switch from electric guitar and bass dominating to a piano and acoustic guitar driven track makes for the deeper connection. They really go all out on Demand. If you're going to end an album might as well just play as many notes as you can. Not all the songs are that great but the ones that are really stand out.

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Tame Impala - Lonerism
Lonerism is the second studio album by Australian band Tame Impala. My biggest question before listening to this album was how were they going to follow Innerspeaker's success and if there would be a change in their style. Kevin Parker had these same thoughts going in his head, and in order to overcome this obstacle he pretended to put Tame Impala and start writing songs for a new project; therefore the pressure was nearly nonexistent and he could let the creativity flow. The opening track Be Above It already demonstrates the completely new sound. It starts with a soft voice repeating, "Gotta be above." Then this 1-2 tempo drum beat kicks in repeating through out the rest of the song. Parker's voice then turns the song into a trance, and the guitar and synth sound so psychedelic that my mind is nearly blown. It's set at a slow pace that every instrument has a dazzling effect. Another standout song soon follows. The keyboard and rhythm for the track Apocalypse Dreams is so upbeat and Parker's high notes he sings make for another spacey track. When the song slows down it gets taken over by the bass line that reaches the soul. We're definitley heading towards a fantasy land because these songs are too good to be true. Why Won't They Talk to Me is pretty indie pop track that gets kicked off with that stellar drum beat. The synth in the background almost sounds like birds chirping and the guitar does it's thing. The song just gives me the chills. My belief that he sounds so close to John Lennon makes everything even more too good to be real. Each song flows so well, so it's hard to ask for a better song order selection. Each track plays off the other one as well. Elephant is pretty strange but the heaviness of the song makes it sound like elephants are stomping around marching somewhere or at least that's what I imagine. Then there's that spacey guitar solo that makes it sound like something is going down. Finally there's possibly my favorite track Nothing That Has Happened So Far Has Been Anything We Could Control. It has such a spooky intro, I feel like I'm entering a haunted house with my candle. The song hits it's rhythm, then stops with some talking, which then transitions into the spaciest part (my favorite part). The drums are crashing, and Parker's voice sounds astonishing. Without a doubt this has been my favorite album of the year.

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Completely agree on this rating, such a good album. Not sure about the totally different sound, I was thinking it’s amazing how much progress can be made in little change. This is still clearly Tame Impala, Parker isn't jumping off cliffs to change and meet expectation, however the atmosphere is crisper, guitar solos more expansive, drums kick harder, melodies fly higher, and lyrics much more powerful. There is distinction in these songs. Whereas Innerspeaker works excellently as a whole piece, rendering no clear cut single, Lonerism offers a collection in which you could make a strong case for any song being your favorite (save “She Just Won’t Believe Me” simply because it mysteriously cuts off at :57 seconds, just as it is lifting off into the upper echelons of possibility). Surely the album wanders at times, the middle section of “Music To Walk Home By” floats along at the same pace and melody for a bit too long, but low and behold, Parker dishes out one of the most aggressive guitar riffs on the album to close the last fifty seconds of the track. Distinction, consistency, and innovation have all been achieved on Lonerism.

Re: theklein25 reviews albums

thanks ^

Originally Posted by SmellyBath

Completely agree on this rating, such a good album. Not sure about the totally different sound, I was thinking it’s amazing how much progress can be made in little change. This is still clearly Tame Impala, Parker isn't jumping off cliffs to change and meet expectation, however the atmosphere is crisper, guitar solos more expansive, drums kick harder, melodies fly higher, and lyrics much more powerful. There is distinction in these songs. Whereas Innerspeaker works excellently as a whole piece, rendering no clear cut single, Lonerism offers a collection in which you could make a strong case for any song being your favorite (save “She Just Won’t Believe Me” simply because it mysteriously cuts off at :57 seconds, just as it is lifting off into the upper echelons of possibility). Surely the album wanders at times, the middle section of “Music To Walk Home By” floats along at the same pace and melody for a bit too long, but low and behold, Parker dishes out one of the most aggressive guitar riffs on the album to close the last fifty seconds of the track. Distinction, consistency, and innovation have all been achieved on Lonerism.

Re: theklein25 reviews albums

Klein's Choice

Depeche Mode - Violator
In some eyes the greatest electronic band of all time. I chose this album by them because this is considered Depeche Mode's most successful record, so why not review the most popular one. The opening track World in My Eyes is so catchy with that beat. It's pretty dark and the sliding on the guitar and synths makes this song feel dark, yet it's something you want to dance to. I want to see the world through Depeche Mode's eyes just because this song is so good and Gahan makes the offer. Personal Jesus may not be my favorite hit of theirs, but the song sure is fun. It has the catchy riff and has an attitude behind it. The synths are pretty cool, and the song just remains pretty steady. Waiting for the Night transitioning into Enjoy the Silence is just magnificent. I would say Enjoy the Silence is my favorite song on this album because of how catchy that drum beat is along with how all the instruments sound. The lyrics are so easy to understand, and I like the rhythm so much. The synthesizers as well as the guitar could be done no wrong. A great song to dance to with a singer who could sound no better. I feel like the colors red and black suit this track no better. Policy of Truth is nearly as great. It has that memorable ba-ba-baaa-ba-ba line which trademarks this song. There's some funk in there created by the bass. The song pretty much symbolizes what is left of the 1980s with jut a fantastic song to dance to. The moodiness of Gahan makes this song what it is as well. Depeche Mode managed to create such dark feeling music that can get a crowd moving with their catchy beats and their unique synthesizers. The tracks that finish off the record I'm not that impressed by, but they've already left their mark. Depeche Mode are not a band to diss.

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Karnivool - Themata
The progressive rock band Karnvool from Australia were a let down to their genre in my opinion. Nearly ever song sounded the same and they were pretty boring. Imagine a water downed Tool. That's my best comparison. You got Coca Cola and then there's that shitty soda you'll find at some restaurants. That opening track C.O.T.E has a pretty epic build up for about one minute. That song Synops is kind of cool, but that's the best complement I'll give.

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Electric Wizard - Dopethrone
Dopethrone is a little too hardcore for me. Maybe not knowing what to expect was part of the thrill when listening to this album. I just expected things to get loud any second and anticipated some hardcore screaming. The guitar was fairly heavy, but I noticed some awesome rhythm effects in the opening track Vinum Sabbath. I know a good transition when I hear one and that flow into Weird Tales sure was a good one. The track is composed into three parts. The first one being Electric Frost which had an enjoyable rhythm. The consistency of the drums and guitar was good enough for me. Altar of Melektaus is dominated by instrumentals, and to me felt like being taken into a forest that is spawning evil demons. I kind of have trouble identifying each track only because the guitar sounds so similar in each track, but We Hate You had some added effects that made it cool. I really don't know what that singer is saying and not sure if he even has a good voice. This doom metal is so hard for me to relate to because I can tell it's good, but to me it's like broccoli. With that being said they get the rating they deserve because I still think they deserve it. Electric Wizard did their thing and sure makes me feel much weaker with that atmosphere this record set.

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Gyroscope - Breed Obsession
Whatever Gyroscope was doing worked out great. A cool album cover, but more importantly a good collection of songs. I love energetic alternative rock, so this band turned out to be right up my alley. That opening track Snakeskin is awesome. Opening with a calm piano introduction soon turned into some guitar riffs and a singer who has a voice fitted nicely for this genre. I hear a lot songs that follow in this kind of calm to fast pattern, so they followed the alt rock basics with this track. They threw in am awesome guitar solo that was preceded by some yelling. The Australians' best song coincidently is named Australia. The violin and cello help make this track more polished, so that was a good move by them. The tone is so peaceful and sounds like a happy song. Australia is the type of song that reels in a female fan base, so it was a smart creative decision. Sanders does a good job at making sure his voice stands out and sing in a pace that could generate a singalong for the fans. That drum beat in 1981 as well as the intro guitar riff are pretty cool. I really digged that track because it is power song that kept the volume at a minimum. The song didn't spin out of control. How about that bass intro in Weapon. Enemy. Friend. that was pretty cool. Then the guitar riffs helped make this a neat song as well. Very fun alt rock.

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Cee-Lo Green - Cee-Lo Green... Is the Soul Machine
I don't know what is cornier that track Soul Machine or this album's cover. I really enjoy the track The Art of Noise. The sound effects as well as Cee-Lo's rapping were good. The song has got some funk to it. The harmonizing made the song even better. That "Hey" note was my favorite part. Sadly it was not a hit. I'm not sure what is shorter relative to the average, how many straight seconds I could listen to I'll Be Around, or Cee-Lo's arm length. The One had a sexy beat to it, but that chorus is so bad. Who wants to say "put that finger in the air." The rapping parts that weren't by Cee-Lo were the best parts. I Am Selling Soul is the record's seduction song without a doubt. That rhythm can result in a lot of things, and the production of the whole thing had a lot of sexual things to it. How about Scrap Metal. That may have been the darkest and most gangster song. Though this album was solid I didn't hear any hit worthy tracks. Nothing charted on Billboards Hot 100, so there you go. The album works better as a whole than looking at individual tracks. A few years later we get the more popular work.

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Lostprophets - ThefakesoundofprogressShinobi vs. Dragon Ninja pretty much kicked ass. A catchy bass line that turns into an all out jam. They amplify a tremendous amount of energy and pump up all the middle schoolers out there. There is a mix of hardcore rock that features turntables. Lostprophets are following in the footsteps of some exciting bands like Incubus and 311. Five is a Four Letter Word demonstrates some good mixing. I also like the screaming and the chorus of this track. It's kind of catchy and makes me feel like I'm at a skatepark. Kobrakai is cool, the bass riff gets kind of jazzy and I can hear the funk. Then that funk transitions into some heavy guitar riffs and yelling. I'm pretty sure this is Nu Metal because I can make the comparison to other artists of this genre. From there on it's mostly the same stuff. Sounds like they beat Linkin Park to the punch of some of these production sounds. I hear a lot of sounds that influenced that band P.O.D. as well as other artists that I can only handle every so often. I enjoy this style of music, especially when there are slow breakdowns that turn into riots, so this was a good pick.